Editorial: Letter to the Editor

Citizenship demands participation

To the Editor:

Citizenship carries both duties and responsibilities that require active participation. One of those responsibilities is to vote. Your vote is a declaration of your citizenship.

Historically, the opportunity to vote has evolved from property owners, who were male and primarily of European descendant, to include former enslaved African Americans, who were also male, to finally women of all ethnicities.

A war in Vietnam finally paved the way for 18-year-olds to vote in America. In this season of campaigns, requests for donations, political TV ads, radio ads and print media ads, let’s remember as citizens that we express our responsibility and honor the memory of those who could not vote when we cast our vote for the candidate of our choice. Can you imagine wanting to vote, but not being able to because of legal or societal restrictions?

I encourage you to fulfill your responsibility as a citizen and don’t let anyone or army prevent you from casting your vote.